


Smoke and Mirrors

by 11Cleyva



Category: King of the Hill
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23241829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/11Cleyva/pseuds/11Cleyva
Summary: Dale Gribble may act the part when picking on Bill, but deep down he has a spot for him.
Relationships: Bill Dauterive/Dale Gribble
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	1. The End of the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter written first. It's the end result of the whole near month.

The sound of crickets filled the night air, the fireworks from the Fourth of July celebration finished leaving the hazy sulphur scent in the air. Laying on the roof of Bill Dauterive's home to watch the show, the small crowd of Hank Hill and Boomhauer left. Hank had his job at Strickland Propane to get up early for and Boomhauer had a long day of who knows what. His life is a mystery at times. The families had gathered their paper plates and cans long ago after the finale of the fireworks. 

This left Bill himself sitting on the shingles staring off at the night sky. Dale Gribble took a drag on his cigarette as he laid on the Manitoba blanket he had received from cashing in his cigarette carton credits. He couldn't see much through the clip on sunglasses, but he hated showing his eyes. He felt safer behind his lenses and a Mack hat on his head. 

Dale gave a loud exhale as he moved to sit up. It was late for himself to stay out, he had glue traps to empty and ants to spray in the morning but damned if he didn't want to leave. 

The cookout food made him feel so tired but he couldn't stay out in the open. He got cold easily due to his thin frame and Nancy would also be wondering why he didn't come to bed. He stood up and collected his blanket but stopped short of the ladder down. 

"You staying up here all night?" his nasal twang woke Bill from his trance of watching the brighter stars shine. 

"Maybe just a few minutes more. Sure is chilly though." he brushed his hairy arms in the sudden realization that he just wore a small undershirt at night. He watched Dale come back to him and unfurl the blanket, handing it to him. 

"You can keep it. I have six more like it." with a loud sniff, he turned to leave the roof and Bill. The balder man watched as he walked into his home and turned the porch light off. A small smile came to the man left as he draped the smoke scented blanket around him. 

He and Dale had become better friends over the years. He knew why Dale treated him like he did. Or at least in his mind he thought he did. He and Dale were very much alike. Except one had more misfortunes then the other. Bill's wife left him and took everything. But Dale still had a wife but she took away his trust of others. 

For the time being Bill will hold on to this blanket. It was Dale's way he looked out for him, in a sort of different manner. He'd never admit to anyone he cared for Bill, in fact he played the blame game whenever Hank or Boomhauer were around. But Bill knew it was a different manner because it was a sort of relationship. It was the best thing he could ever have. 

Women avoided him, he'd even take a man so long as they cared for him. And deep down Dale cared, it was just behind all that smoke and mirrors. But they cared for each other. 


	2. Ants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm basing this story by the near end of the series, so I'll have stuff from 1-13 seasons.

"Nancy you're staying home today?" Dale asked as he zipped the orange Dead Bug suit over his underwear and white t shirt. His wife tended to her hair, it was thinned but she kept it short enough to place the large blonde wig over it. 

"Sug, I told you four days ago that I was staying home on Friday. Then I leave for news coverage in Dallas this weekend." She turned away from the bathroom mirror to look at him. His brown eyes looked at her and he gave her a smile. "Didn't Joseph tell you? He's coming with me for his school assignment."

"I knew that baby, I was just checking with ya." he didn't listen when she said any of that the first time. He slipped his glasses on, and the clipped new sunglasses to them. They covered his eyes as he slipped the hat over his balding head. 

He gave her a passionate kiss on the lips before he left to get his day started. His son, Joseph, had already gotten to school and left him some food but a growing boy needed his energy. Luckily Nancy had a small list made out for the store. 

The sound of a mower early in the morning gave the scene of summer even more. The strange sweet scent of cut grass filled his lungs before he inhaled his newly lit cigarette. He gave a loud honk in the Bugebago to his wife in the house before pulling out. 

Bill stood in his yard as he watered the sunburnt grass from a patched up green hose. He watched as Dale drove down the street. 

It must be exciting being a… bug catcher. Bill thought as he turned the hose off and went back inside. Opening the blinds to his window to see out at the houses across from his. Each one looked better than his. The best was always Hank's. The block captain for many years, and where all the events took place. The birthdays for the neighbours, it's strange that everyone seemed to have forgotten his birthday this weekend. June 22. He'll be having his Beefaroni for a party for one. 

He pulled away from the window and slunk into the kitchen for an afternoon snack. He ate most of his rations for the week, the cupboards were empty and mostly filled with crumbs. He brushed the crumbs out of the cabinet onto the floor. 

Bill stopped when he saw a trail of black dots on the floor. He didn't remember having any food that was small, black and that moved. 

"Oh my God, I have ants!" he shouted, he tried to step on them but stopped. "I have ants…yes!" he ran to the fridge and ripped all the pizza coupons and notes off the door.   
Found it! 

He ran to the phone, being careful to not step on anymore ants. Each number he pushed made his heart race. It's ringing! He tried to calm himself, but it was so hard to. He could feel the pickling heat start over his body from excitement of calling. 

"Dale's Dead Bug, Dale speaking." the answer on the other end. 

"I have ants!" Bill couldn't control his volume as he happily announced his insect issue. He heard silence from the other man but the sound of traffic in the background. 

"Right…" the twang on the other end said finally. "How's after twelve for you, Bill?" 

"Any time is good for me, Dale." he smiled as he twisted the cord around his finger. "And, Dale, can you bring some food?" 

More silence, just exhaling of air on the other end. Dale drove in traffic with a cigarette hanging from his thin lips. "I'll see what I can do." and he hung up with that. 

Bill let out a squeal of excitement but stopped himself from becoming louder. Why am I acting this way? He froze. He caught himself being to become attached to someone else who will hurt him in the end. He sank to floor with the phone still in his hand. Sudden realization sank in. 

"Oh no…" his voice was small and confused. 


	3. Chapter 3

A loud knock came to the door at thirty minutes after 12, waking Bill from his trance of just staring at the floor. He blinked several times before lifting himself to his feet. Out the front window was parked the white van with the ant queen dead on top. He sucked in his breath, he almost forgot.

Dale stood on the small cement step holding a white Whataburger bag in his hand. The door opened slowly to reveal a wide eyed man behind it as Bill poked his head out the small opening.

"That'll add an extra 18 dollars to the total." Bill looked at him, "I bought myself a burger too." he handed him the bag and came in.

The smell coming off Dale made his eyes water. Smoke, poison and what seemed like skunk. Bill tried his best to veer his sights to the greasy fast food bag.

"So what do we got? Ants? Crafty little bastards, they sneak in silently and just take it all back to the colony…" he removed the canisters from his back and placed them by the door. "To find an ant, gotta think like one."

He dropped to his knees and crawled on all fours, keeping close to the walls. Bill just sat on the couch and ate the hamburger. Dale remembered his usual. It was a nice surprise, he watched as the other man crawled into the kitchen.

They didn't say anything to each other. One ate as the other followed the trail out the back door. His boots could be heard coming back to him.

"Pharoah ants. Pesky but killable. Probably hanging around the garbage can and found a way in. I have enough poison to kill an entire nation of ants." he spoke aloud for Bill to hear but the other man just took the last bites of his food.

This was a bad idea, William. He thought as he just blankly zoned out. He could hear the door open along with the van opening and shutting. What was I thinking?

" You may want to leave." he muttered as he lit a new cigarette between his teeth. Bill stood as fast as he could and ran out the house and across the street to Hank's house. He stopped short of the glass sliding door in the backyard and looked in. It seemed empty like Peggy left.

Oh Peggy… he thought and pressed his hands on the glass door. Why did he like Peggy exactly, not even he knew. He could admit she was mean at times and self centered, but he was still drawn to her. He hugged the glass for how know how long, to him he could stand here forever.

The sun was baking the back of his body through his white undershirt, and his exposed skin felt on fire. But he was determined to get away, far away from his thoughts. It was hard to when he could still hear those temptations at times.

An hour set into his skin, his arms hurt to even move but he heard those workboots tapping on the road and up the driveway of the Hill's.

"Ants have been eliminated. To be sure the bastards won't come back, I've set traps around your home." he said and took a small drag and blew the smoke out. "try not to eat the poison traps."

"So where do I go? Because I know I'll eat the traps off the floor."

"Hank will probably let you stay at his home." he took out a paper, "now did you want me to bill you now or later?" he lifted his shaded face to look at the burnt red man who was sweating profusely. "Later then." and with that he walked away back to his white van and dropped his materials in the back next to the other chemicals.

"Dale!?" Bill broke the silence of the neighborhood as he came to his own home. "um… Hank won't let me stay at his because of what I did the bathroom. Boomhauer always has a lady. And well, I was hoping you'd let me stay with you."

The two remained quiet, "let me think about it…. No."

"No?" Bill could feel his jaw begin to tremble. Shot down again. "But why not?"

"It's my gun club weekend." he slammed the back swinging doors to the van and stepped into the driver side. He drove his van down the road to the next appointment.

"Where am I supposed to live?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these are so short, I still have college work to do even from home. I hope to get longer up.


	4. Dinner with the Gribbles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so late, I got caught up in not doing anything this lovely quarantine.

"Would you please tell Bill to get out of our backyard." Peggy tried her best to obscure her sights of Mr. Dauterive, who by now had rolled a small sleeping bag under the tree. Her voice was to the point. She didn't like the people her husband hung around with, but it was hard to get him from being with his schoolboy friends. So she just let it pass. 

Hank rubbed his close cut temple and sighed. "Peggy, I can't just tell him to go home. He has no home at the moment. And I'll be danged if I'm letting him stay here again. Not after he did to my bathroom…" he then cut a slice of his steak. 

"I thought the Bible said, 'Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor." Luanne spoke up, her meek voice broke the sounds of chewing from Bobby. 

"Luanne, Mr. Dauterive isn't poor. And not letting him stay in our house isn't a sin. He works for the US military for God's sake…" Hank turned his head to look out the window at the man under the tree. "God Dangit." 

He slid the glass door open and came out to greet the man in the sleeping bag. "Hey Bill." he honestly had nothing to say, they already said their goodbyes after that last beer in the alley. Now they had to make conversation while he was eating. "what, uh, what are you doing under my tree?" 

"I can't live in my house because of the Ant killer Dale sprayed in my house. So I figured I can make myself a bed here tonight." Bill answered as he stood up, he was the shortest of all the friends. He never noticed, only when Hank got angry did he notice. 

Dammit Dale… Hank looked over at the house next to his and knew what he had to do." Come on Bill, we're going to Dale's."

Bill tried to protest but stopped once they walked up the cracked sidewalk. The little weeds grew from out of those cracks and in the front yard. The knock on the door seemed angry when Hank did it. Bill knew this was just another home he wasn't allowed in. 

Dale answered the door. Behind him was his family watching TV on the couch. The house had a powerful smell of cigarettes and sweet air fresheners that tried to mask the scent. It was like lavender mixed with smoke.

"What'cha want, Hank?" Dale asked as his family looked up from the television. Nancy sat with their son, Joseph. He always had a look of endearment for his father. 

"Dale, you put pesticides in Bill's house and now he's on my lawn in a sleeping bag."

"What's wrong with that? I'm doing my job as an exterminator…" 

"You will not be letting one of our good friends live in the alley because you used killers for ants." Hank pointed a heavy finger into the skinny chest of his friend. 

"If Bill's your friend too, why can't you have him stay with you?" Dale questioned as his wife walked over to stand behind him. 

"Sug, maybe you should let him stay the night at least." she gave the voice of reason to her husband, who stood there thinking it over. He just gave a nod. 

"Fine… Bill you can stay here until your house gets cleared of the pesticides," he lifted his shades to look Bill in the face, "but you stay out of the fridge!" 

Bill didn't listen, he was just stuck looking at the brown eyes behind those sunglasses. He forgot that Dale had real eyes behind those, and he was glad he saw them again. Hank had left him standing there by himself as he came in. 

Nancy returned to the couch and talked to Joseph that they'd be having a guest at the house for the night. The two men waited until they left to serve supper. 

It was a simple pull out bed, not the most comfortable but it's all they had. Bill kept his mouth shut as they worked to set it up. The orange cap accidentally fell from Dale's head. Bill happily picked it up for him and got a nod in return. It was enough to make him feel happiness, he smiled as the sheets were tossed onto the mattress. 

"Sug, dinner is ready." Nancy's voice came from a the kitchen. "Mr. Dauterive, would you like to join us?" 

"I can!?" Bill couldn't contain his enthusiasm. Dale had a face that said it all dammit Nancy

She went back to the kitchen and Bill followed closely behind Dale. They had just enough chairs for the four of them as they sat for easy made meatloaf. Bill wanted to sit next to Dale as much as he could, he felt like a lost puppy and couldn't help but follow him. 

"Dad, for class next week can you bring me home termites? We need them for science class." Joseph asked out the blue. 

"Sure thing, son. I have a client who has them that's just wanting to get rid of 'em." he spoke differently when he spoke to his son than he did with his friends. Bill noticed this, he didn't sound angry when he spoke. And what could be viewed from his sunglasses were his eyebrows and they went up like he was happy. 

Bill gave a smile as he ate his slice, he knew Nancy wasn't the greatest cook in the neighborhood. She was better than himself though, but he knew the cook of the family was Dale. 

"You know Joseph, I bet you're doing good in school." Bill randomly spoke up. Joseph looked down at his plate. 

"I guess…" it wasn't everyday they had a guest over. It was different from when his grandfather came to the house, those compliments felt like family. When Mr. Redcorn shows up, those compliments sounded forced and creepy. This sounded different coming Mr. Dauterive. It was leaning more towards the family side. 

The dinner after that was quiet. The sound of silverware on the plates clanking every now and then but mostly silence. They finished eating and dishes washed, not much else was said. Joseph went to his room to do his homework and to get to bed, he had to get up early to leave with his mom for Dallas. 

Bill sat on the pulled out bed in the front room, he didn't have anything to do or anyone to talk to. Dale had already retreated to the basement for the night while everyone else was sleeping. Bill just laid down on the clean sheets and shut his eyes finally. 

… 

The small clock read 12 when Bill opened his eyes slightly to see the light of the TV shining on the man in the green recliner. He faked his sleep to catch a peek at Dale, who sat in his chair watching his show Sandford and Son. 

The show was almost a parallel with Dale's own life of trying to make a buck here and there, but also for the loyalty the father and son have for each other. Bill tried to hide his smile as he thought of how much Dale loved his son. But Bill's soft smile stopped when be remembered in the show the father wasn't the real father of the son but instead another man was. He tried to shake off the thought and just went back to trying to look at Dale who smiled at the television. 

It was nice to see this always cynical conspiracy theorist happy and that's all Bill could wish for himself. Happiness.


End file.
